Karn glanced down at the dical report the doctor had handed him before he left the clinic. His vitals were stable, though the deep wounds would require a few days of recovery to heal properly. As he settled into the back of a waiting taxi, he redirected the driver away from his family ho. The sight of bandages and his weakened state would only send his parents into a panic, and he couldn’t bear their fussing right now.
When he returned to Aisha’s apartnt, he rang the bell and was greeted by her anxious face.
"The results are fine. There’s nothing to worry about," he reassured her as they stepped into the living room.
Karn’s words died in his throat, however, when he realized they weren’t alone. Gabriel was seated dead-center on the couch with a dark expression.
"When did you get here?" Karn asked, his pulse quickening for a reason that had nothing to do with his injuries.
"Why didn’t you call ?" Gabriel countered.
"It was an ambush, Gabriel. Everything happened too fast," Karn replied, trying to maintain his composure. "By the ti I could think, it was over. I assessed the situation and determined I could handle them."
"And what if your assessnt had been wrong?" Gabriel stood, taking a few steps closer to him. "Wolves like Eryx don’t play by the rules of the palace; they use hunting gear and poisoned blades. You could have been slaughtered in that forest, Karn, and I would have found out from a police report instead of my own Beta. Is this what our friendship worthy for?"
Karn lowered his head, a heavy sigh escaping him. "I’m sorry, Gabriel. I didn’t think that far. I acted on impulse a day before yesterday, and that’s clearly what set Eryx off. But how did you find out it was him so quickly?" He lifted his gaze, searching the Alpha Prince’s face.
"The police inford ," Gabriel replied. "And I’ve already summoned Lazarus to the palace with his son."
Gabriel stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as they road over Karn’s battered fra. He reached out, his fingers hovering just inches from Karn’s hairline. "Look at your forehead! You have a wound even there. Just how many did you take, Karn?"
As he spoke, Gabriel’s eyes bled into a deep, dark shade of violet, a clear sign that his inner wolf was surfacing.
"It’s all my fault," Aisha said, her voice trembling as she finally drew their attention.
"Aisha, it wasn’t your fault," Karn insisted, his tone softening instantly, but she wouldn’t be swayed.
"You wouldn’t have fought Eryx if not for ," she whispered, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor. "Your Highness, I would like to co to the palace as well. I’ll apologize to Eryx if it stops this."
"Don’t be an idiot," Gabriel snapped. His loud voice made Aisha flinch and pull her shoulders back in fear. "Why would you apologize to the bastard who harassed you? You are the victim of his obsession, not the cause of it."
Karn winced, reaching out a hand as if to shield her from the Prince’s mounting fury. "Gabriel, calm down. You’re scaring her," he whispered, his voice laced with concern.
"Stay quiet!" Gabriel reprimanded his Beta, his violet eyes flashing with a command. "You two are acting like teenagers," Gabriel muttered, though the violet hue in his eyes began to recede.
"Now that the matter is in my hands, I’ll handle it my way. You will co to the palace with Karn, Aisha, not to apologize, but to watch Eryx beg for your forgiveness."
Karn offered a small, weary smile of thanks and gestured toward the door, silently asking for a mont alone with her.
"I’ll be waiting in the car downstairs. Don’t make wait long," Gabriel stated. He turned and swept out of the apartnt.
Karn tossed the dical envelope onto the coffee table and turned his full attention to Aisha. "How long was he here before I arrived? Did he give you a hard ti?"
"No," Aisha replied, her shoulders finally relaxing. "He didn’t scold . He was just worried for you. It’s clear he cares a lot for you, Karn."
"He does. But Gabriel loses his temper far too easily," Karn noted, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "That’s exactly why I keep things from him; I wanted to settle this without disturbing him." He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the arm. "Well, we should get moving. We can’t keep a Prince waiting in a parking lot for too long. So, get ready."
"I’m ready. Let’s go," Aisha said.
~~~~
"Noah, sweetie, why won’t you take your milk? What’s wrong?" Alie asked, her voice laced with motherly concern. She held the bottle near him, but the infant simply turned his head away, pouting his tiny lips in a stubborn display of refusal.
"Perhaps the little prince simply isn’t in the mood to eat at the mont," Ashna suggested softly, standing by to assist.
"But he’s had an empty stomach since this morning," Alie countered, looking down at the boy cradled in her lap. She felt a tug on her hand as Noah reached out, his small, pudgy fingers curling tightly around her index finger. Before she could react, he pulled her hand toward his face and clamped his gums down hard.
"Ahh!" Alie let out a sharp cry of surprise, instinctively jerking her hand back from Noah’s mouth.
"My Lady, what happened?" Ashna asked, stepping forward imdiately.
"Noah bit !" Alie exclaid, nursing her throbbing finger. The pressure had been surprisingly intense for such a small child. A realization dawned on her, and she quickly reached out to cup Noah’s chin, gently urging him to look at her.
"Wait... Let Mama see your mouth. Open up, Noah," she urged, carefully trying to peek at his lower gums. "It feels like his teeth are already starting to push through." She couldn’t see them, but she felt like that.
"Noah is growing fast, my lady. That’s truly wonderful," Ashna said with a smile.
"Yes. Noah, you don’t bite like that. That’s a bad habit," Alie scolded him in a lighter voice when her phone began ringing. Ashna picked it up from the table.
"Who is it?"
"It’s Flora," Ashna answered.
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